In desolate and chilly Indiana, spectators swarm the railings as the runners line up on the grass, fresh with dew. Thousands amass for the highly anticipated NCAA Cross Country Championships, creating excitement that this isolated land has never experienced.
Among the runners competing, Raja Mehendale ‘24 represented Washington and Lee University as a freshman. Despite this incredible accomplishment, Raja’s cross country journey has not been an easy walk in the park.
Entering college as one of the lowest ranked recruits in the school’s freshman class, Mehendale was an underdog and had to prove his abilities at the college level.
“My PRS did not stack up very well against some of the other top runners in our class,” Mehendale said. “But because I had such a good, productive summer, I hit the ground running during preseason.”
During the summer, Mehendale tactfully re-oriented his training with an increase in volume because of the extended length of collegiate races (eight Kilometers). His ability to increase workload while remaining healthy fortified his confidence; however, his first collegiate race did not go as he had hoped.
“It was a baptism by fire,” Mehendale said. “I got out there and felt like a fish out of water.”
Despite not meeting his expectations, Mehendale refused to hang his head, using the setback as a learning experience instead. Creating his own momentum, Mehendale bounced back in his following races in Maine and New Jersey.
Despite his constant improvements, Mehendale did not think he was going to compete in the national championship until his performance at regionals, seeing his hard work come to fruition by placing 50th .
“The race happened to be my personal record too, but it was really the attitude, effort and commitment to the race more than the time that pushed me to be on the regional national squad,” Mehendale said.
To compete in nationals, Mehendale had to maintain his position as top-seven on the team. While achieving this goal, Mehendale’s consistency and resilience pushed him to exceed expectations and make his 1325 miles of training worthwhile.
